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Ekeler’s Millions

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Oh to be an NFL player! You’re a physically fit, young man, earning millions….and 2 years after you retire there is a high chance you will be BROKE! Not unless you make the right decisions.
LA Chargers running back Austin Ekeler details what he spent his first million dollars on in this Ekeler’s Millions segment.

One of the first things that comes across when you watch Austin Ekeler is how humble and grounded the guy is. This probably has something to do with growing up in rural Colorado, and not really focusing on the NFL as a career.  Often the biggest financial busts in the NFL are the players who focus on status and prestige, as opposed to building the structure for financial stability in the future.  There is nothing more frustrating as a fan watching a talented young athlete blow their wad on ‘bling’, when their career could essentially be over within 5 years.
Sure Drew Brees can spend millions on trinkets and baubles, but look where that got him.

Among some of the purchases that Ekeler bought with his first million includes:

Chrysler 300

The essential vehicle for soccer moms, single dads with weekend duties, and of course NFL rookies. Austin smartly mentions that he bought a used car, as he wanted something reliable and affordable to get him to work, while many of his other teammates were focused on the flashy, European models.
It’s better to be frugal than a fool in a league where a sudden injury can change the trajectory of your future immediately.
Cost $30,000

Gaming System

Boys love their toys, and a single man in his 20s is going to spend a lot of money on gaming. Gaming is surprisingly popular and competitive amongst NFL players themselves, so many of the rookies are going to want to update their speed and graphics in order to compete with some of their elders on the team and league. Gaming is a massively popular industry, and many NFL players are eyeing it up as not only an investment post career, but also as a potential job. Hey, it works in ‘Ballers.’
Cost $10,000

Mommy Car

Every good boy wants to thank their mom for driving their ass to and from practice and games for almost 2 decades. Ekeler thanked his mama by replacing here ugly old van, with something more fitting of a matriarch. Austin’s mom is also a Colorado real estate agent, so she has actually been working for him to upgrade his portfolio. Investing in mom is always a good investment.
Cost $40,000

Corvette

The Corvette is a classic staple of Americana muscle car, this fibre glass beast is one of the biggest killers of drivers in accidents. But…Austin Ekeler loves the ‘Vette, so he bought a shiny one. It’s got to be hard to compete with teammates (and celebrities) in LA, so players do need a car that displays the fact that they ‘made it.’ When you’re a kid you dream of owning your ‘dream car’, and luckily Ekeler was able to do just that.
Cost $80,000

Wardrobe

Some NFL players go full peacock in their post game wardrobe (talking to you Cam Newton), so it’s always refreshing to hear from a normal guy that doesn’t spend his weekly budget on hats. Again, the competitive nature of other NFL players must set the bar high, but given what Ekeler spent updating his wardrobe, many women spend that easily making way less.
Cost $5000

Home

Home is where the honey’s are, and if you want lots of honies, you need a sweet home. Read that on a washroom stall once. Everyone in their 20s’ wants to get out of the rent-trap, and Austin wisely invested a large chunk of his cash into his first house. Listening to him speak about it, you get the impression this will be the first of many home he will turn over for a profit.
Cost $240,000

Australia

Austin Ekeler bought Australia for only $15k! Kidding, but the young man invested the sum into visiting his buddy there that was setting up a gym. Sure that this good looking, rich young American man had a great time down under for that amount.
Cost $15,000

Investment Property

OK, this is when you know that Ekeler is one of the smarty ones. Ekeler’s aforementioned mom helped him pick out 17 properties in Colorado to add to his investment portfolio. 17 properties? Wowza, even local boy John Elway must be impressed enough to give him a Papa John’s franchise.
Newby athletes need to learn from Austin Ekeler so that they don’t make silly mistakes with their money. After all, who wants to go from the NFL in your 20s’, to working at Sonic in your 30s’?
Cost $800,000

What would you do if someone handed you that kind of contract? Would you invest that same way as Ekeler’s Millions, or blow it all in a blaze of glory?

Things to think about. Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Week 17 Preview

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The NFL season officially ends this weekend, as we hit you up with our Week 17 Preview Podcast.
This has officially been one of the oddest NFL seasons on record, with Covid wrecking havoc across the world and the league. You have to hand it to the NFL though, they handled this season very seamlessly, and us fans may never fully realise what kind of hard work they pulled off to make it happen.  Thanks NFL!
Wade & Ryan hit the mic this week to look back at all of the crazy games in week 16 in the league. There were some truly nutty scores and outcomes last week, and the boys reflect on how those affected their bets.
The guys then look ahead and make their predictions for all the Week 17 games, with score predictions and playoff guesses flying wildly across the podcast.
Among some of the major games the guys look at in our Week 17 Preview Podcast includes:

Dolphins (10-5) vs Bills (12-3)
Bills -3  +44.5

It’s time to shuffle off to Buffalo for the final game of the season for these AFC East teams, and this match always beings with it some historical fun. Both of these teams are playoff bound, but Miami needs it more than Buffalo does.
Miami would be wise to start the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick here, as his previous stint as a Buffalo QB gives him an advantage in the cold. Their D will also need to heat things up if they want to make Josh Allen make any mistakes.
Of all of the playoff bound teams, Buffalo is the one that really seems to be cooking in their final stretch. Allen has been a touchdown beast, and their own D is making life hard for opposing QBs.
Both of these teams need a win here, but Buffalo might be the one team that could coast if they build a lead. Both guys like the Bills here.
Ryan- Bills 27 Dolphins 13
Wade- Bills 27 Dolphins 23

Jets (2-13) vs Patriots (6-9)
Patriots -3.5  +43

New York has failed miserably at a few things this season. They failed to secure the best new QB in the 2021 draft, and they failed to be the worst team in the league, at the worst possible time. They have actually looked ok in recent weeks, and one wonders where that style of play was a few weeks ago. Adam Gase will most likely be on LinkedIn this game, as his fate seems to be sealed for 2021. Sam Darnold however might be stuck in the Big Apple for a lot longer now.
Cam Newton was not the answer, and no one is saying it. It’s not surprising given the Patriots history of stifling bad news. Bill Belichick gets his first early winter in ages, and you wonder how he’ll want to go out on this game.
Wade and Ryan both like the Jets here as they have nothing to lose. If they keep playing how they have in the past 3 games, they could actually rough up the Pats in Boston.
Ryan- Jets 20 Patriots 10
Wade- Jets 26 Patriots 20

Cardinals (8-7) vs LA Rams (9-6)
NL (Goff)

Thanks to Arizona losing last week, the Bears have a shot at the playoffs, while the Cards are now officially eliminated. Arizona has been erratic all season, with Kyler Murray showing as many bright flashes as he does dark decisions. They haven’t been fully clicking all season, and they will need to make some changes in the offseason to steer this ship in the right direction.
The Rams too have been inconsistent in 2020, relying on their D to keep them in games that they had no place being in. With Jared Goff injuring his thumb, the chances of the Rams making the playoffs just took a dip here.
Wade & Ryan are split on this one, with Ryan liking the Cardinals to take advantage of Goff, while Wade thinks that Sean McVay will find a way. Even if it does mess with his Bears.
Ryan- Cardinals 23 Rams 17
Wade- Rams 27 Cardinals 25

That’s it for our week 17 predictions, make sure that you check us out on social media.
We also have another Facebook Group you can join if you’re an NFL in London fan.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFLinLondon

Make sure you listen to the whole podcast to get all of the guys picks.
Listen, laugh, love and continue to share. Our listenership continues to rise, so thanks for that.

Have a happy new year everyone!

A Stiff Henry

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If there has been one consistent joy this NFL season, it’s been watching players get ‘A Stiff Henry’ from the stellar Titans running back.
Fantasy owners of Henry have been constantly impressed by his tough and rough play, as well as  his ability to gash for countless yards after the touch.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the runs Derek Henry has put together this season, is the reaction from his own teammates.
Watching the cringes, ‘oh no’s’, and resulting memes and gifs that result have been nothing short of pure, joyous entertainment.

Even his own cum-back kid Ryan Tannehill has been impressed by his running back, not for the least of the reasons being it takes the pressure off of his inconsistent play.

Check out Tannehill’s reaction to one of Henry’s killer runs in 2020, it’s safe to say he was blown away.

You know who else has been HUGELY impressed by Henry this season? Everyone who has had to face him in fantasy and watch him rack up massive points to put you out of the season.

Week 14 Preview

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What a wild week of upsets we had on Sunday! The Seahawks & Steelers took some big ‘L’s’, Bears blew it, Bills nailed it, Belichick was at it again, all this and more in our Week 14 Preview.
Wade & Ryan look back at all of the week 13 games, lamenting how much they got screwed on their fantasy teams.
The boys also look ahead to week 14 from Thursday to Tuesday, but anything can happen in a 2020 Covid-led NFL season.
What are some of the big games that the guys have their eyes on to this week?

Cardinals (6-6) vs Giants (5-7)
Cardinals -2  +44

It looks like people have figured out Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offence. They went from dazzling to dull in a few games, and defences have learned that he’ll sweep right under pressure, so have some guys there. Larry Fitzgerald is a shadow of his former glory, and they have a weak o-line that allows Murray to face constant pressure.
Pressure is something the Giants D has been cooking up lately. Flourishing with 5 straight wins, this New York team is starting to feel a bit of a burn.
If Wayne Gallman Jr. can get the run stuffed in the face of the Cardinals, they might find themselves in a deficit that requires them to make mistakes.
Wade & Ryan both like the hometown New Yorkers to take it to Arizona in this game on a cold December day.
Ryan- Giants 24 Cardinals 20
Wade- Giants 23 Cardinals 20

Vikings (6-6) vs Bucs (7-5)
Bucs -6.5  +57.5

Minnesota is fresh off a few close wins, too close if you really look at it. Their secondary is horrible, and you can only rely on Dalvin Cook if you’re in the game. Justin Jefferson is putting up ROTY type stats to help out. But-if you crush Kurt Cousins and stamp out Cook, then they are pretty weak.
Tampa Bay has exactly the remedy to what ills the Vikings. Fresh off a bye week TB12 will be looking to lay a bruising on the rest of their cruising schedule. This week off is a blessing for a playoff run, they will have been studying for perfection, and will likely bring it this game.
The Bucs are just far too strong and angry to keep this one close.
Ryan likes a close game, while Wade sees this getting ugly in a fun to watch way.
Ryan- Bucs 34 Vikings 30
Wade- Bucs 35 Vikings 24

Falcons (4-8) vs Chargers (3-9)
Falcons -2.5  +49.5

Atlanta has had such an off season. Their 8 losses had some close games as well as some absolutely dumb ones. You have to wonder what motivates the team going into 2021, with many of the guys looking for greener pastures, especially Matty Ice.
They lost to Taysom Hill last week and are prone to defences that rattle the QB. Enter Joey Bosa.
Los Angeles has to feel numb after the drubbing they took at the hands of the Patriots on Sunday, and fingers should be pointing at Anthony Lynn for moronic coaching. WTF is he thinking sometimes?
The Chargers will be looking to fight back for pride this week, as unlike Atlanta, many of their losses have been close.
Justin Herbert and Allen will be hitting Atlanta hard on Sunday, the only real question will be ‘can the Falcons retaliate?’
Ryan has gone against past words and is taking the Falcons for a big win here. Wade on the other hand thinks that the loss to Bill Belichick will motivate them to kick ass at home in front of the Santa Anna winds. According to the movie ‘The Holiday’, they’re crazy and bring change. Something LA desperately needs right now.
Ryan- Falcons 26 Chargers 23
Wade- Chargers 31 Falcons 24

Some of the other big betting tips the boys have for you on Sunday include:

Ryan-Patriots Win, Texans Win, Panthers Win, Lions Cover, Chiefs Cover.
Wade-Jets Cover, Dolphins Cover, Cowboys Cover, 49ers Cover.

Listen to the whole podcast for all of our betting predictions, as well as silly thoughts on nonsensical things. Like all good things our podcast is free and addictive. Take a free sample and pass it on.

Week 13 Preview

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It’s another slug of a week in the NFL, as we take a look at our Week 13 Preview podcast. The previous week of games brought some tough losses, amazing wins, and another batch of injuries to change the playoff outlook even further. The top teams keep rolling, and the Steelers are still undefeated, but are they that good?
Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull are your NFL in London pundits, looking back at the scores from week 12, as well as previewing all of the games ahead in Week 13, as well as their love of seasonal canapés.
Lockdown might be done in the UK, but that doesn’t mean NFL fans are keen to flock to the pubs just yet. It doesn’t help that Premier League games are now directly in contest with the NFL, meaning our fans often get relegated to the side tvs with no sound.
Hopefully we will all be able to watch the Super Bowl together next year. Fingers crossed.

Some of the games the boys hit this week includes:

Colts (7-4) vs Texans (4-7)
Colts -3.5  +53

Indianapolis is still stunned after that viscous beating they took at the hands of the Titans last week. Derek Henry left his boot marks on their D, and they will need to shake off that fuzz if they want to take advantage of a listless Houston team.
The Colts still have a great running game, and short pass options, which will find big gaps in a soft secondary.
Houston are drug cheats. They did it baseball, and now they got caught again in the NFL. Will Fuller is gone, but more importantly this team just received another nail in the coffin that was their 2020 season. JJ Watt must be looking to GTFO of Houston now, so why play hard and hurt your 2021 contract?
Both Ryan & Wade like the Colts to bounceback.
Ryan- Colts 30 Texans 20
Wade-Colts 28 Texans 23

Browns (8-3) vs Titans (8-3)
Titans -6  +53.5

It’s the battle of the 8-3 juggernauts, as we see if the Browns really have what it takes to advance to the post season. All signs point to no.
Cleveland has looked like they have been calling it in all season. Baker Mayfield plays as he does in his commercials, clueless and locked out of the game. The can’t blame it on OBJ because he was hardly even used during the early part of the season.
Tennessee just laid a bit back beating on the Colts and are riding high. They have 8 wins, but those haven’t always been that convincing, barely eeking out victories over some craptastic opponents.
Both teams might play strong, but they could both be easily beat in a first wild card game.
Ryan & Wade are both big on the Titans here at home, although Ryan likes this one to be close.
Ryan- Titans 27 Browns 24
Wade- Titans 34 Browns 24

LA Rams (7-4) vs Cardinals (6-5)
Rams -3.5  +48.5

LA and Arizona were both the victim of an assault last week, except they only have themselves to blame. The Rams were choked out by a superior San Francisco defence, while the Cardinals fell into a Bill Belichick trap. Both of them didn’t see it coming.
Aaron Donald might be carrying the Rams on his shoulders this season, as Jared Goff is inconsistent at best. They failed to get any attacks in motion against a depleted 49ers squad last week, so you wonder how they will be able to keep up punch for punch with Kyler Murray.
Arizona is not as good as many thought. Their 6 wins have been over inept teams, and their 5 losses have at times been very ugly. Kyler looks tiny out there, and is making rookie mistakes in his QB vision. He should be able to wheel out of the way of AD & co., making points with his feet.
Ryan & Wade are both big on the Cardinals for an upset at home. LA hasn’t been definitive enough, and this division contest will mean more to the host.
Ryan- Cardinals 30 Rams 27
Wade- Cardinals 30 Rams 26

Some of the other teams that the boys like to cover this week includes:

Ryan- Chargers Win, Jets Cover, Lions Win, 49ers Win.
Wade-Dolphins Cover, Jets Cover, Falcons Cover, Patriots Win.

Listen to the full podcast for all of our scores and predictions.